Fruit-ladder.



E. W. RYDER.

FRUIT LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1914.

1,1 19,883. Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

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WITNESSES: INVEN TOR A TTURNEV THE NOA'EHS PETERS C04. PMOTO-LITHU WASHINGTON, n z

E. W. RYDER.

FRUIT LADDER.

APPLICATION mum JULY 23. 1914.

1,1 1 9,883. Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

3 SHEETSBHEET 2.

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E. W. RYDER.

FRUIT LADDER.

APPLIUA'I'ION FILED JULY 23, 1914.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Moan/dd .90/471'7220/7 7%MQLLM ENOCH Wt RYDER, OF DOWAGIAG, MICHIGAN.

FRUIT-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

atented Dec. 8, 1914.

Application filed July 23, 1914. Serial No. 852,590.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ENOGI-I WV. RYDER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Dowagiac, in the county of Cass and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F ruit- Ladders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has to do with a fruit ladder construction and it is the object and purpose thereof to provide a ladder which may be portable, which can be placed at any side or position with reference to a tree and which by adjustment may be used to gain access to any portion of a tree so that the picking of fruit therefrom will be rendered easy.

The preferred form of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a view from the rear end of the device, certain parts being omitted and shown in section to better disclose the construction; and, Fig. 4: is a View indicating the locking device which controls the tilting movement of the main ladder in one direction.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the construction of the embodiment of my invention shown, a truck member is provided consisting of spaced apart horizontal beams 1 at the front ends of which are mounted wheels 2 by means of any suitable connections, the rear ends of said beams having attached thereto vertical members 3 whereby the beams are maintained in horizontal relation, said beams being connected together by a pair of transverse members 4. On the truck thus formed a pair of vertical uprights 5 are secured being attached at their lower ends to the rear cross member 4 and positioned substantially midway between the beams 1. The uprights 5 are joined together at a number of places along their length in effect forming the rigid upright standard, to the upper end of which plates 6 are attached and a ladder comprised of side members 7 and rungs 8 is pivotally mounted at the upper ends of said plates. To strengthen the ladder plates 9 are secured to either side 7 thereof, and a brace 10 extends in either direction from said plate, belng secured near the ends of the ladder sides 7 forming with the ladder a truss capable of withstanding heavy strains. Between one end of the said ladder and its pivotal mount, a cross member 11 is secured carrymg the arc-shaped brace 12 which is curved toextend between the sides 5 of the upright standard. Slidably mounted on the brace 12 is a locking device 13 consisting of a head pierced to receive the brace 12 and a body which extends downwardly and outwardly, normally having engagement with the notched end of a metallic member 14 fastened to cross bar 15 which in turn is secured to and between the sides 5 of the upright standard. The opening in the head of the locking device is but slightly larger than the diameter of the brace 12 so that while it may be moved along said brace, when it is positioned at any place on the brace and bears at its end against the plate 14, the tendency to rotation in the plane of the brace imparted to the locking device causes the head to grip the brace 12 and firmly retains it in fixed position thereby controlling the tiltingmovement of the ladder in one direction. Between the cross bar 1.1 and the end of said ladder, a second cross bar 16 is secured to the ladder serving as a support for the pulley block 17. At a distance above the truck a second pulley block 18 is located lying between the sides 5 of the central upright standard. Adjacent the lower end and between the sides 5 of said standard bar 19 is pivotally mounted substantially midway between its ends and each end carries a pulley 20 as shown. A cord, rope or other similar suitable flexible device 21 is attached at one end to the bar 22 and threaded over the pulleys as shown in Fig. 1., said device 21 controlling the tilting movement of the ladder in the other direction of its tilting movement. It will therefore be apparent that the ladder carried at the upper end of the upright standard may be tilted to any de sired angle and secured at such position.

Extending upwardly from each of the .beams 1 in a plane forward of the members 5, are uprights 23 connected together at their upper ends by a horizontal tie 24;, said standards 23 reaching a height about one half the height of the uprights 5. A platform 25 lies between the standards 23 carried by the two beams 1 and is secured thereto serving as a support for the series of steps 26 which eXtend to a point adjacent the pivotal mount of the ladder heretofore described. In the construction of thetruck and the securing of the uprights thereto, a plurality of brace members 27 are used to strengthen and reinforce the construction whereby it may be made strong, yet not oftoo great weight.

Adjacent each end of the platform 25 a -U-shaped member 28 is pivotally mounted on a vertical aXis and to each upwardly extending end thereof links 29 are pivotally secured which in turn have secured at the free ends thereof other links 30, carried by and pivotally attached to the upper ends of the ladder 31 as shown. It will be noted that each end of the platform 25 is rounded and extends outwardly a distance so that whatever the position of the ladder 31, a personmay step directly therefrom to the platform. Onaccount of the pivotal at tachment about a vertical axis of the U- shaped member 28 the ladders 31 may be swung to any point in an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees about said axis and when it is desired to move the device as a whole, said ladders may be placed upon the beams 1 and carried as the device is transported.

In the operation of the device, it may be moved to any desired point by taking hold of the rear ends of beams 1 and moving it forward on the wheels 2. F or the lower branches of a tree the ladders 31 may be used and may be swung to various positions as desired. The upper ladder is of use in reaching the higher branches of the tree and may be tilted to any desired angle most convenient for access to different parts of the tree.

From the foregoing it will be evident that I have provided a novel fruit ladder, one that can be easily and cheaply built and one that is particularly efiicient in gaining access to fruit carried by fruit trees.

Various modifications in the structure may be resorted to without departing from my invention which is defined in the pending claims, all modifications falling within the scope of said claims, being comprehended in my invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a truck, an upright standard mounted on the truck, a ladder pivotally mounted between its ends at the upper end of the standard, an arc-shaped brace connected to the ladder, a locking device on the brace engaging against the standard whereby the ladder is held against tilting in one direction of its movement, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a truck, an upright standard mounted thereon, a ladder pivotally mounted between its ends at the upper end of the standard, an arc-shaped brace connected to the ladder and having thereon a locking device engaging against the standard thereby controlling the tilting movement of the ladder in one direction, and separate means for controlling the tilting of the ladder in the opposite direction.

3. In a device of the character described, a movable support including spaced apart horizontal beams, upright standards secured t0 the beams, a platform connecting the up- 1 per ends of said standards, a ladder, a clevice pivoted on a vertical aXis at one end of the platform, and links pivotally connected to said device, links pivotally connected to the upper end of the ladder and pivotal connections between the ends of said first and second mentioned links. 7

4. In a device of the character described,

a movable support, upright standards attached to the movable support, a platform carried by the upright standards, ladders pivotally connected at each end of said platform, a standard located at a distance from the first mentioned standards and extending above said standards, a ladder pivotally mounted on said standard, and steps leading from the platform to the ladder, substantially as described.

In a device of the character described,

a truck, an upright standard mounted on the truck, a ladder pivotally mounted between its ends at the upper end of the standard, an arc-shaped brace connected to the ladder, a locking device comprised of a rod having an enlarged head, said head slidably securing the brace and the rod extending downwardly therefrom, and a notched plate attached to and projecting outwardly from the standard, the end of the rod resting against the'plate in the notch thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

ENOOH W. RYDER...

Witnesses HARRY A. BROUN, VER ON C. REDNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. '0. 

